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Chapter 6: The Nature of Demons

God originally created angels as righteous spirits with responsibilities that include caring for the people who will inherit salvation (Heb 1:14). Along the way, however, some of these angels fell from grace and became what the Bible calls demons (Job 4:18; Matt 9:34).1 Instead of submitting to the Lord’s sovereign commands, they decided instead to rally behind Satan as part of a heavenly insurrection doomed to fail (Rev 12:4, 9) because, like their leader Satan, demons have no good in them (cf. John 8:44). Rejecting the Lord, honoring the prideful cherub Satan above the Lord, fighting against commands from the Lord—these actions all indicate that demons are rebellious sentient beings with a seriously corrupted nature.

Demons know the truth about God and His covenant with humanity through Christ (Luke 4:41). These are not atheist spirits. They personally know God. They have seen God. They were with God when He created the world (Job 38:6–7). They recognize there is one and only one God, and while they utterly despise Him, they are also terrified of Him (Jas 2:19; Matt 8:29). And rightfully so. They have seen God in His full glory; they have known and experienced His sovereign majesty in a way that we simply have not. Part of what twisted their original nature so profoundly is surely the fact that, while knowing God in His full glory, they chose to reject Him. The Father has never invited demons nor any other angel to share His glory (Heb 1:5–14), so perhaps they were envious of the honored position reserved solely for the Holy Trinity.

Knowing they could do nothing to harm our invulnerable God, they turned their wicked attention to God’s prized creation: humanity. God created us in His image (Gen 1:27), so we might remind them of the God they so thoroughly despise. Unlike the Lord, however, humans can be corrupted, harmed, bruised, and broken. We can be made to question our faith and deny the one, true God. With the right pressures, along with a deliberate or ignorant rejection of Christ, human beings can become twisted enough to embody the appalling image and wicked nature of demons themselves.2

Satan and his demons must surely delight in such a disfiguring transformation. It sets them up as ersatz gods over this affected portion of humanity, a distorted imitation of God’s created order. Worship, even godhood, is what Satan—and perhaps his demons—wanted all along (Matt 4:8–9; Isa 14:13). They may see fallen humans as a means to that end, although they are surely repulsed in equal measure by those who remind them of the Creator they so thoroughly despise. Demons have no desire to praise the Lord, and while they are actively opposed to everything He does, they do acknowledge His glory and wisdom as seen through the church (Eph 3:10–12). But that merely provides fuel for the fire because they actively work to tear down the very same church they acknowledge (Acts 5:1–10; Rev 2:9–10, 13, 24; 3:9; 1 Tim 3:6–7; 2 Cor 2:1–11). Theirs is a nature that revels in carnage and glories in the sins of a fallen humanity. Every human being who rejects God represents a victory in their eyes. Every human being who does not deny God but who can be incapacitated through difficult trials, made ineffective through the concerns of this world, or lured off the path of righteousness with devious temptations represents a different kind of success to these evil angels.

The kingdom of darkness and its constituent demons seem to identify as a “spiritual nation” united under the common banner of opposing God. When the demon in the Capernaum synagogue shouted at Jesus using the voice of its Jewish victim, “What business do you have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are: the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24 NASB; cf. Luke 4:34), it demanded to know what Jesus wanted with us, as if it were speaking on behalf of a demonic nation. This demon also referred to itself as I, indicating that while the kingdom of darkness is united against Jesus Christ, it consists of individual beings who each have a distinct identity. Taken together, these word choices suggest that demons are independent, fallen angels who have a shared hostility toward everything holy.

Their rebellion against God so long ago continues to this day, and despite the intervening time between then and now, their allegiance to Satan appears to be entirely intact. He is their leader (Eph 2:2; Matt 12:24)—Jesus referred to demons as Satan’s angels (Matt 25:41). Furthermore, the Capernaum demon’s question was not coincidental. It shows that demons know their divine sentence. They will be imprisoned and tormented in eternal fires, which does not mean they will die, but it does mean they will experience endless misery as recompense for all their many crimes (Matt 8:29; Rev 20:10). They have been rebelling against God since their original defection (Rev 12:4, 9) and will continue to rebel all the way to the end of the world (Rev 20:7–10). As spiritual beings who originally spent considerable time in the presence of God, they must have been fully aware of God’s expectations for them—as well as the cost for utterly rejecting those expectations. There is not going to be a Messiah or a plan of salvation for demons. Jesus did not die on the cross to save fallen angels (Heb 2:16); He died for humanity.

Demons are characterized throughout the Bible as evil and destructive fallen angels who follow Satan as their ruler. No redeeming attributes, no hesitation against encouraging or participating in sin, and no second thoughts are ever implied or attributed to these evil spirits in Scripture. Much of what we know about the evil character of Satan logically fits the demonic members of his angelic army in equal measure. After all, they are of the same spiritual genus. Like Satan, his fallen compatriots willfully rebelled against God in full knowledge of His glory, and also like Satan, they lost their status as holy angels. There are no tiered judgments in Scripture for any of these wicked angels. They are all evil and will all share the same destiny.

Hebrew and Greek Words Describing Demons​

Biblical authors refer to demons throughout the entire Bible with various epithets, each sharing the same core meaning: an evil, spiritual being. These biblical word choices represent the combined wisdom of many inspired authors over thousands of years. Starting with the Book of Isaiah, one of its prophecies foretells the final judgment of the earth, encompassing everything we can see along with everything we cannot see. On that day, God will judge the rebellious angels “of heaven on high” (Isa 24:21 NASB)—Satan and his demons. The original Hebrew refers to this as punishment of a heavenly army organized for war3, or a host, but the only heavenly army God will punish on that day is the one that rebelled against Him a very long time ago. Isaiah recognized that not even angels are exempt from their sins.

Similarly, fallen angel is a common designation encapsulating an identical concept. While popular biblical translations do not include this phrase, it is a reasonable label for the subset of angels who rejected God and were thrown down to the earth from their former heavenly stations as a consequence (Rev 12:9). Both rebellious angel (seen in the NASB translation) and fallen angel (not seen in this translation) describe a wicked subset of angels who are organized into an army intent on waging war against God.

The author of Judges describes an evil spirit God sent to create acrimony between a murderer and his co-conspirators (Judg 9:23). The text does not specify whether this refers to a demon or a bad temperament, but these two concepts would have been synonymous to Jewish people of that era.4 The Hebrew adjective in Judges describing this spirit (ra’) indicates an unkind and vicious disposition or temper.5 Samuel uses the same adjective to describe the tormenting spirit who plagued King Saul after his sinful disobedience against the Lord (1 Sam 16:14). Shortly after this tormenting, evil spirit came upon Saul, he felt so much rage toward David that he attempted to murder him (1 Sam 18:11). We know that Satan readily uses human anger as a destructive tool (Eph 4:26–27), so it is little wonder that his demonic angels would use the same tactics. Demons are all cut from the same cloth, so to speak. Much later in biblical history, James also labels jealousy and selfishness as demonic (Jas 3:14–16), so a pattern clearly exists throughout Scripture indicating that demons can adversely influence human emotions.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all use the Greek adjective akathartos to describe these evil spiritual beings. This adjective translates as unclean and impure, meaning these spirits are tainted by sin and morally foul in both their thoughts and actions.6 This word commonly appears in reference to the unclean spirits (or, alternatively, impure spirits) who torment humanity (Matt 12:43; Mark 6:7) and demonically oppress individuals (Mark 5:13; Luke 6:18). Such spirits are seen throughout the Gospels causing all manner of physical and emotional distress to people who felt utterly helpless within their grasp. Only an entity consumed by its own immorality would find nothing amiss with causing such tremendous pain to human beings. Unclean spirits are seen to harm men, women, and even young children in the Gospels—there are no groups excluded from their iniquity. This particular Greek adjective suggests that demons are so immersed in sin that it has twisted their fundamental natures into loathsome and sinful parodies of their former selves. As unclean and impure entities, human beings who wish to keep themselves from spiritual harm are to avoid interacting with them any more than necessary. Perhaps that is why Jesus compared demons with unclean animals.

Jesus told the seventy-two disciples who successfully cast out demons, “Behold, I have given you authority to walk on snakes and scorpions, and authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you” (Luke 10:19 NASB). This may be a reference to a psalm that says, “You will walk upon the lion and cobra, / You will trample the young lion and the serpent” (Ps 91:13 NASB). Some people interpret Jesus’s statement to the seventy-two disciples literally, but given the broader context, it seems far more likely that Jesus used snakes and scorpions as symbols for spiritual evil. Jews considered both snakes and scorpions to be ceremonially unclean and unfit for any good purpose (Lev 11:41–42). Touching them would defile a person (Lev 11:43). Therefore, Jesus strongly implies that consulting (or “touching”) evil spirits also defiles a person (Lev 19:31). They are very dangerous, as are certain snakes and scorpions, and direct interactions with these spirits should be avoided as much as possible.

Demon is the most common New Testament label applied to Satan’s angels. The Greek root word is daimón, and in Greek culture, this referred to a variety of different concepts, including a lesser deity or unknown spiritual force. It derives from another word meaning to distribute fortunes.7 The Greeks believed there were both good and bad spirits who could directly influence fate toward either beneficial or destructive ends, although these spirits were not without a degree of moral ambiguity. The first century Jewish historian Josephus “made no arbitrary distinction between good and evil demons: a demon could give good fortune as well as cause death (Ant. 16.76; J.W. 1.556). It was the activities of a demon that determined its nature (Ant. 13.415; 16.210; J.W. 1.628),” and only when it caused harm was it thought necessary to expel it.8 While such spirits were not quite seen as divine, they were unquestionably supernatural and could have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life.

The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers Paul told about Jesus’s resurrection derisively wondered aloud if Jesus was one of these lesser deities (Acts 17:18). However, when New Testament biblical authors use this particular word family, they use it exclusively to describe evil spiritual beings.9 They also use daimonion (the diminutive form of this same word) rather than the original root word in almost every occurrence. This word form implies disdain. Moreover, it “conveys how utterly powerless demons (fallen angels) are against Christ (His plan).”10 The use of this word family borrows semantic meaning from Greek culture, granting that these are powerful spiritual entities who can cause great harm while, at the same time, greatly diminishing their significance by emphasizing their inferiority to the Lord.

Many different words in the Bible refer to the evil spiritual beings we commonly call demons. These words form a vivid picture of a fallen angelic army at war with God. Like their master Satan, they are so incorrigibly evil and so depraved that their fundamental nature holds no redemptive qualities. There is no good in them whatsoever. These fallen angels are fully capable of inciting destructive attitudes or causing tremendous emotional and physical harm to human beings. Demons are unclean, spiritually impure creatures who will defile us if we give them the opportunity. Yet they hold no special sway with the Lord and have no power over Him. Jesus tenderly protects His people from their wicked machinations, but He expects that we seek Him first and trust in His help. These are the lessons we learn from simply studying how Scripture refers to these wicked spirits, and given what a survey of the original languages have already revealed, it should come as no surprise that these twisted angels are stubbornly set on pursuing their senseless rebellion against God.

Brazen Immorality​

Demons eagerly do evil as part of their unholy nature. We see a strong example of this during the divided kingdom era in ancient Israel. Once, when the Lord asked which angel would entice a wicked king into fighting in a lethal battle as divine punishment for his many misdeeds, an unusual spirit volunteered (1 Kgs 22:19–21). It offered to inspire the king’s false prophets to tell lies so appealing that they would move the king into action (1 Kgs 22:22).11 Holy angels do not offer to encourage people to lie because the Lord finds that detestable (Prov 6:17). This was a demon, perhaps even Satan himself. God did not command this demon to appear; it volunteered. God did not command this demon to force anyone to lie; that was its own plan. God also did not command this demon to sin; it freely offered to do so. This demon was so eager to sin that it appeared in God’s heavenly court with a plan of its own design to push wicked men (who, coincidentally, were already guilty of serious crimes under Mosaic Law) further away from God. Its unholy nature stands out in sharp contrast to the depiction of holy angels in Scripture as the messengers and righteous warriors of God.

Another aspect of demonic behavior is an unwillingness to stop doing evil. Demons will only stop when forced, as the apostle Paul experienced in Philippi during one of his missionary journeys. A demonized woman working in that city sold fortunes to everyone who wanted to know their “future” (Acts 16:16). She followed Paul, Silas, and Luke for many days as they traveled throughout the city, shouting to everyone who would listen that these men were servants of the sovereign God who had come to teach the people how to be saved (Acts 16:17–18). The demon speaking through this woman was correct. Its words were factual, just as other demons were factual when they spoke about Jesus earlier in Scripture; however, their actions were never intended to support the gospel message. Despite their lying natures, demons are capable of using a form of truth to influence humans.

This particular demon was so disruptive that it greatly distracted Paul. Not only was it actively hindering his missionary efforts, it may have been working to build additional credibility among the local population for the fortune-telling services it offered. A casual observer to this exchange might have wrongly concluded that these demonic fortunes were something special rather than the insidious snares they were. The demon certainly knew who Paul was and what he was doing in Philippi. If “Paul accepted the demon’s words, he would appear to be linking the gospel with demon-related activities. This would damage his message about Christ. Truth and evil do not mix.”12

Paul and his companions faced a serious hurdle: The demon’s behavior did not just happen once. It did not happen a couple of times. It happened consistently across many days with the same intensity until Paul finally drove it out with his special apostolic authority from God. This shows that demons will continue doing as much evil as they can if left unchecked. As eternal beings who have been around since the dawn of creation, they are bound to have patience on a far longer time scale than any human being. Demons cannot be ignored when they choose to act, and humans cannot stop them by their own power. Only God can force a demon to cease and desist from its relentlessly wicked behavior.

All demons share the same depraved nature, and all demons will end up in the lake of fire for their many crimes, yet there seems to be varying degrees of evil among these fallen angels. Jesus once told a parable about a demon who “goes and brings along with it seven other [demons] more wicked than itself” (Matt 12:45 NASB), suggesting there is some variability—on a scale from noticeably evil to utterly depraved—to how malignant any particular demon is. Because demons are sentient individuals, and sentient individuals have unique personalities as well as the capacity to make different choices, it follows that some demons would choose to pursue a path of even greater wickedness than their companions. This is not to say that some demons have redeeming qualities while others do not. That is categorically untrue. Rather, it is very much like comparing two different moldy loaves of bread. Both are inedible, and eating either loaf will cause poor health, but one is absolutely riddled with poisonous mycotoxins leading to a painful death while the other merely causes forceful vomiting. Neither outcome is desirable.

Likewise, a demon who drives a man to live isolated in a tomb and assault other people (cf. Matt 8:28) surely commits a greater sin than a demon who causes an angry disposition (cf. Judg 9:23). Satan likely carries the greatest guilt of any demon in his kingdom because, after all, this cherub angel not only rules demons but has also murdered and deceived his way through biblical history. Although wickedness does not necessarily imply violence, gradations in wickedness might suggest that some demons are more violent and dangerous than others. Jesus referred to a demon who caused seizures, muteness, and suicidal attempts in a young boy (Matt 17:14–21; Mark 9:14–29; Luke 9:37–43) as “this kind” (Mark 9:29 NASB), indicating it to be part of a special category of demons who appear to be more vicious than others encountered in Scripture.

Unyielding Cruelty​

At a town near Ephesus, a group of would-be exorcists attempted to cast a demon out of the man it tormented (Acts 19:13–16). There were serious problems with their approach13—not the least of which was a lack of saving faith in Jesus Christ—but the demonic response to their efforts was extreme. The demonized man “pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:16 NASB). This demon was engaged in the active torture of its victim while, simultaneously, it violently attacked the men who tried to drive it out. It stripped off their clothing, giving them such a beating that its assault drew blood. This was no joke. The demon engaged in notably violent behavior and seemed to relish the altercation.

Jews of that day shunned nudity,14 so the outcome of this fight would have been particularly humiliating for these men. As travelers, they may not have had a spare set of clothing easily available, and that could have meant they were forced to walk naked to the nearest clothier while the whole town gawked at their naked display. These men suffered from bruised and bleeding bodies, but they were surely burning with shame and embarrassment even greater than their physical wounds. The demon’s actions were violent on all levels. This was pure malevolence with no indication of good anywhere in that demon’s nature. There are enough other stories of demonic cruelty in Scripture to indicate this is a common characteristic inherent to demons. They appear to view both people and animals as utterly disposable, a viewpoint Satan also seems to share.15

How could anyone who frequently tortures living beings have any shred of decency? Unlike their holy angelic counterparts, demons do not minister to humans (cf. Heb 1:14)—they actively torment them. This is exceptionally clear in the story of the Gerasene demoniac (Matt 8:28–34; Mark 5:1–20; Luke 8:26–39), a man who was infested by so many demons they claimed to be a legion roughly five thousand members strong16 (Mark 5:9). These thousands of demons drove the man to live naked and mostly alone in frigid tombs cut into the landscape (Luke 8:27). His primary companions were rotting corpses and human bones, and had he been Jewish, this would have been especially horrifying since the Jews viewed dead bodies as unclean (Num 19:11). The condition these demons forced upon the man was extreme, betraying a hateful attitude toward humanity. They seem to view human beings as inferior creatures unworthy of even basic dignity. To these demons, the man was apparently an expendable house, perhaps also a source of entertainment, but utterly disposable. The only reason they stopped tormenting him was because Jesus forced them to stop. Instead of simply leaving the man, however, the demons begged Jesus to go into a large herd of pigs before compelling them to commit suicide (Luke 8:32–33). The ruthless cruelty toward the man, as well as the gruesome destruction of the swine herd, both point to severe moral depravity. Demons clearly delight in sin, enthusiastically tormenting the living creatures God has made.

Like predators in the animal kingdom, demons naturally seek to isolate their victims because it makes them more vulnerable (cf. 1 Pet 5:8). The Gerasene demoniac would often break the restraints that the townspeople used to control him and then run away into solitary places such as the tombs he frequented (Mark 5:4). He did not do this because he wanted to be alone; the demons indwelling this man periodically forced him to flee from other people into more isolated environments where no one could help him (Luke 8:29). Living naked in the tombs would have made him repellent to visitors, unclean to Jews, and undesirable to Romans so that he would be totally alone with his demons—although he spent time with another demoniac on occasion (Matt 8:28). There, in solitary confinement next to the ghastly grins of the recently departed, the demons tortured this man mercilessly (Mark 5:5).

Likewise, Satan tempted Jesus when He was alone in the wilderness (Matt 4:1–2; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–2). Jesus must have felt special compassion for the Gerasene demoniac because He, too, knew firsthand what it was like to suffer in isolation far away from all human comfort. We are at our most vulnerable when there is no one to help us after we fall (Eccl 4:9–10), so demons seek to drive us away from all that is good and virtuous. They may work toward that goal through direct, supernatural involvement as seen with the Gerasene demoniac; inflame our own evil inclinations to destroy our relationships through pride, anger, unforgiveness, and apathy; or precipitate divisive events entirely outside of our control. Whatever the case, when we are isolated and vulnerable with no one who can help us or no one who is willing to help, demons have a real advantage. The Lord created human beings for social relationships. We need each other to help shoulder our burdens. We also need mature Christians in our lives so that we can mutually sharpen one another against wickedness (Prov 27:17). No person is an island, and demons will attempt to exploit those who believe otherwise. These evil, highly immoral spirits have fallen a very long way from their original, created purpose.

Demons and World Religions​

Perhaps the most sinister demonic scheme of all is impersonating a deity and demanding worship. The Lord unequivocally states that there are no other gods but Him (Isa 45:5–7). There are many different religions in the world. There are also many kind and decent people who do not believe in the Christian God. But the underlying truth is a particularly bold and offensive claim in our postmodern era: all other gods in most other world religions are not real in the sense their worshippers believe them to be.17 “For all the gods of the peoples are idols [or, alternatively, non-existent things], / But the Lord made the heavens” (Ps 96:5 NASB).

Many people are sincere in their devotion and righteous in the eyes of their particular religious system. They are worshiping something, and that something might even produce tangible manifestations from time to time, yet the objects of their worship are not gods. So what are they? An especially malicious deception. These are beings who masquerade as truth and light (cf. 2 Cor 11:14) but conceal a profoundly dark nature. In other words, gods are demons by another name (1 Cor 10:19–20; 2 Chr 32:19; Rev 9:20; Deut 32:17), and there are as many different names for demon as there are for gods in this world. Christians unconditionally cannot worship both the Christian God and any other god (1 Cor 10:21–22). This greatly displeases the Lord. Although the Lord is abundant in His love and mercy—more so than we could possibly imagine—even His patience has limits.

One of the fastest ways to provoke the Lord to anger is by entering into a genuine relationship with Him while, at the same time, showing reverence to any other god. This is so incredibly offensive to Him that He has provided us a biblical record of the rise and fall of ancient Israel explaining in great detail the tragic consequences of dishonoring the Lord by honoring other gods. Christianity is an exclusive faith in that there is no room for additional deities. When we see that other gods are merely demons in disguise, it is little wonder the Lord prohibits us from worshiping them. Demons never have our best interests in mind. Fallen angels who parade around as the gods of other religions are quite interested in preventing their worshippers from coming to faith in the Lord. These are deceitful spirits who teach lessons that conflict with Christian faith (1 Tim 4:1), and they are highly effective at what they do.

Ancient Israel fell into their trap time and again. Its people sacrificed to satyr-like goat demons (Lev 17:7; cf. Is 13:21; 34:14; 2 Chr 11:15), worshipped manufactured idols, erected altars to the stars above, and frequently adopted the same gods as their neighbors. This greatly angered the Lord. The divine consequences for the Israelites (who had entered into a formal covenant agreement with God stipulating what would happen if they disobeyed Him) were everything from severe famine to a forced deportation by an invading army. It is true that the Israelites believed in God, but they did not believe Him when He said not to worship other gods. They ignored His prohibition, violated their covenant agreement with Him, and suffered the agreed penalties for doing so. Disobeying what we know to be a direct commandment from the Lord is the very essence of sin.

Christians must work hard to stay on a firm foundation when it comes to their faith because there are many deceivers who, intentionally or otherwise, will try to lead us away from the truth (2 John 1:7–8). Such people are themselves misled, and that is partly due to demons who are quite eager to teach false spirituality. Paul writes that the Holy Spirit “explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (1 Tim 4:1 NASB). These are the “later times.” This phrase simply means the time between the resurrection of Christ and His inevitable return. Even in Paul’s day, Satan and his demons were hard at work deceiving Christians so they would abandon their faith (1 Tim 5:15). This indicates demons are all too happy to teach spiritual lessons and philosophies that distort the truth yet sound convincing. Demons lie as part of their unholy nature, only telling the truth when it serves an evil purpose (cf. John 8:44). They work to deceive unbelievers as well as Christians who are unwary, complacent in their faith, or biblically illiterate. But it should come as no surprise that spiritual advice based on anything other than Scripture is deceptive.

Satan is the ruler of our current world system (2 Cor 4:4), always working to divide God from humanity, and his work encompasses every last bit of alternative spirituality we might encounter. In fact, his demons help perpetuate it. Those who identify as “spiritual but not religious” frequently deny God but leave the door open to anything wanting to take His place. Those who subscribe to New Age beliefs practice spiritual pluralism that denatures God into something else and demotes Jesus to a mere “enlightened individual.” Those who join “angel groups” seeking to contact holy angelic beings are instead contacting demonic angels. Those who participate in other religions are engaged in demon worship. There is no shortage of false teachers in our world who will zealously lead others into bondage through the same demonic lies that have ensnared them, lies so effective that false teachers themselves are not always aware of how badly entangled they are in a web of deceit. Given how eager demons are to teach the antithesis of Christian spirituality, we might conclude they would be loyal to those who either agree with them or worship them. However, they are not, which is a tragic irony.

Scripture does not indicate that demons have any loyalty to those who chase after them. Instead, demons see nothing wrong with tormenting the same people they mislead. During the tribulation period, one judgment against the unbelieving world will consist of a demonic swarm that causes so much pain and suffering that people will want to die in order to escape from it (Rev 9:3–6). Many of those who worship demons and demonic false gods before that judgment will go right on worshiping the same demons and demonic false gods after that judgment (Rev 9:20). Such people are clearly devoted to their spiritual practices, yet none of their misplaced devotion will cause the tormenting demons any hesitation during their five month role as torturers of humanity. Not even a little. The very beings that a condemned world regularly worships will torment mankind so severely that death will seem like a better option. This is extreme sadism on the part of demons, and it clearly demonstrates they have no interest in helping or sparing anyone from the torment they cause. Here we see callous cruelty to be well within the nature of a demon. Simply put, these malevolent spirits enjoy causing pain.

Demons Are Still Angels​

Because demons began life as holy angels, they share similar strengths and limitations. For one thing, demons are more powerful than humans (Heb 2:7). We could never hope to directly confront a demon and win—we are no match! If the idea of sparring with a holy angel sounds entirely one-sided, why would some Christians believe the odds would be any more even with a fallen angel? Both are mighty, supernatural warriors; they just happen to have wildly divergent worldviews. The angel Gabriel possessed the power to immediately silence a man who refused to believe the message he brought from God (Luke 1:19–20), and demons have similar power (Matt 9:33; 12:22). Quoting the Bible at a demon is not going to even the odds. Demons know what the Bible contains because they were there when it was written. But we can take comfort knowing that Scripture never instructs us to deliberately seek out a confrontation with a demon—Christians who argue otherwise are sorely mistaken.18 Our job is to resist, not proactively attack. We resist all the strategies of the kingdom of darkness through prayer, obedience to God, perseverance, and an understanding of His Holy Word (Eph 6:11, 18). Completely relying on Jesus is a winning strategy because, as powerful and intelligent as demons are, God is infinitely more powerful and infinitely more intelligent.

Additionally, like holy angels, demons do not die (nor do they marry) (Luke 20:34–36). With their immortality comes many millennia of experience learning what makes humans tick. Demons have interacted with and influenced humanity since God first created us (Job 38:4–7; Gen 3:1–5). They have witnessed the entirety of human history; they “know all that is on the earth” (2 Sam 14:20 NASB). Their supernatural power, combined with an eternal perspective, makes them a formidable force possessing immense historical knowledge and an intricate understanding of both human psychology and physiology. This gives the kingdom of darkness all the tools it needs to deceive and destroy us.

In addition to possessing both immortality and a sharp intellect, demons are also very fast. Satan told the Lord that he came from “roaming about on the earth and walking around on it” (Job 1:7 NASB). One has to move incredibly quickly to roam throughout the entire earth and cause evil across the globe on a daily basis. Scripture metaphorically compares angelic speed to the wind (Heb 1:7; cf. Ps 104:4), a good trait to have for beings originally created, in part, to serve as God’s messengers.

The angel Gabriel provides a clear demonstration of angelic speed. He stands in the presence of God (Luke 1:19) yet appeared to Daniel while Daniel was praying (Dan 9:21). The Lord does not set His heavenly throne anywhere on earth (Ps 33:13–14; Rev 4:2), so Gabriel would have had to traverse the distance between God in heaven and Babylon on earth very quickly in order to appear before Daniel during the span of a single prayer. It is impossible to know how vast that distance might be if, in fact, the concept of distance as we understand it even applies here. But we can speculate that it required extreme speed to move between these two locations. Even if some angels are faster than others—and the Bible does not comment on this question—the baseline we see in Scripture indicates that holy angels and demons can move at an exceedingly rapid pace. The only being faster than an angel is God—He is present everywhere all at once (Jer 23:24; Prov 15:3; 1 Kgs 8:27; Col 1:17)! No holy angel and no demon is capable of that feat even if they can move much faster than humans.

The Lord also appears to have endowed His angelic creations with miraculous control over material objects. The holy angel who fed Elijah produced “a round loaf of bread baked on hot coals, and a pitcher of water” seemingly out of nowhere (1 Kgs 19:6 NASB). In a related fashion—whether by optical illusion, sleight of hand, trickery, or evil power—Pharaoh’s court magicians Jannes and Jambres produced snakes (Exod 7:11–12), blood (Exod 7:21–22), and frogs (Exod 8:6–7) out of thin air. These were men who made a career out of occult pursuits, and if the source of their ability to copy divine plagues was supernatural in origin, Satan or his demons were the true power behind it. This does not constitute biblical proof that demons can conjure items out of thin air, but it does suggest they have some facility with producing an object in a location or situation where that object did not previously exist. An ability such as this cannot be a new act of creation because Christ alone created all things (John 1:3; Rom 11:36; 1 Cor 8:6). However, angels are supernatural, so by their very involvement in ordinary events, miracles follow. It is possible that demons—or holy angels—could supernaturally produce snakes, blood, frogs, bread, water, or any other material object they desired in a way that seems miraculous to us but works within whatever unseen limitations the Lord has placed on their interactions with humanity. For example, perhaps an angel can merely relocate these objects from one place to another faster than the human eye can follow.

Angelic spirits have another attribute common to both holy angels and demons: they are not normally visible to us. Their presence can, at times, be felt in an unmistakable way without ever seeing them (Dan 10:7, 15–17),19 but there are also times when angels choose to appear before a human observer (e.g., Gen 19:1-22; 2 Sam 24:16-17; 1 Chr 21:15-16; Matt 28:2-7; Mark 1:13; Luke 1:11-20, 26-38; 22:43; John 20:11-13; Acts 5:19-20; 12:7-10). The Lord even revealed an angelic army when Elisha prayed for his servant to see the protection God provided for them against an enemy army (2 Kgs 6:17). We are able to see angels whenever the situation requires it; therefore, demons have the same capacity to become visible whenever God permits their appearance, though this seems to be an uncommon occurrence.

Demons are entirely invisible to us throughout most of Scripture. They speak and act through the person they are tormenting rather than face to face. Like angels, they are capable of interacting with their environment in other ways, so we might naturally wonder why they tend to forgo direct communication. The Bible does not say. We could speculate that their appearance is so horrifying as a result of their fall from grace that God only rarely permits a glimpse of their twisted features—although this would not account for Satan who may have been quite stunning in appearance (Ezek 28:13–14; cf. 2 Cor 11:14). Jesus is well aware of our human frailties and would not seek to burden us unnecessarily with seeing spiritual realities that we are not normally meant to see. If the visage of a holy angel caused sudden fright for some (Luke 24:4–5) and misdirected worship in even an experienced apostle (Rev 19:10; cf. Heb 1:4; Col 2:18), the look of a typical fallen angel may be truly hideous. Nevertheless, the popular notion of a red-skinned, human-like figure with horns and cloven hooves is pure fantasy. Scripture does not provide many details as to how demons look. Revelation presents some striking imagery associated with demonic appearance, yet given the heavy use of symbolism in John’s writing, it seems best to draw no firm conclusions on this topic based on what may just be poetic imagery.

Only God Knows the Future​

The Philippian fortune-teller that Paul confronted—and every other person who reads omens or practices divination—received her advice from a demonic source,20 but angels by their nature are not all-knowing, and this includes both Satan and his demons. For example, they do not fully grasp our great need for the salvation Christ freely offers us (1 Pet 1:12). Christ Himself entered into our sufferings and became like us in every way, directly experiencing our difficulties and trials from a human perspective (Heb 2:17–18; 4:15). No angel has ever done that, so no angel has perfect knowledge of the human condition. That means they are neither gods nor all-knowing.

Moreover, the true test of divinity is knowledge of the future (Isa 41:21–24). If demons could pass that test, the Lord would consider them gods (Isa 41:23). Demons, however, do not know the future any more than we do. They cannot accurately predict the near future (Isa 41:21–22), and like us, they are only guessing at the distant future (Isa 41:22–23). They cannot do anything to amaze or frighten the Lord (Isa 41:23) because they and the false idols they prop up “are less than nothing, / And [their] work is less than nothing” (Isa 41:24 NASB).

Those who seek the advice of demons only defile themselves (Lev 19:31). They enslave themselves to a lie because demons excel at deception. God may sovereignly permit a demon to have some control over an individual who willfully embraces its lies, and this may include permitting the demon to influence events in such a way that it appears to know the future, but this demonic charade is a deception at heart and lasts only so long as the Lord allows it to persist. God alone knows the future (Isa 46:9–10), and “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we must answer” (Heb 4:13 NASB).

When Jesus discussed the day of judgment with His disciples, He told them “about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matt 24:36 NASB). If demons truly knew the future, they would know when their day of judgment will arrive, but once again, they do not know the exact date any more than we do. Any future knowledge a demon offers is not truly future knowledge at all because demons are not gods. Still, they do have the necessary skill to insidiously shape events when the Lord permits them to do so. If an event appears to play out as a demonic fortune says it will, there are at least three different explanations as to why that might occur:

  1. The prediction is so vague that human imagination fills in the gaps. Demons have been deceiving humans for a very long time. When they give a vague prediction that something will happen in the future, it easily predisposes the human imagination to look for patterns “proving” this fortune is coming true. This is like looking for fanciful shapes in the clouds—they were never really there, only water droplets suspended in the air.

  2. Demons are intelligent and calculating enough to predict a likely outcome. They know what is currently happening in the world along with human history, so there are times when putting that information together is sufficient to make an educated guess about what will happen next. Even a wild guess is correct some of the time.

  3. Demons can directly cause tragedy or apply supernatural force to push events in certain directions. Those who seek demonic knowledge of the future are stepping outside the bounds of what God says is acceptable behavior (Deut 18:10; Lev 19:26; Jer 27:9–10); therefore, it is conceivable there are times when the Lord will allow a “fortune” to unfold as told with all the tragic demonic consequences this implies.

Angels Have Proper Names​

Holy angels have names like Michael and Gabriel. Consequently, demonic angels also have names. When Jesus asked the Gerasene demoniac for his name, a demonic voice replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many” (Mark 5:9 NASB). This is the one place in canonical Scripture where a demon identifies itself by its own name, and in this situation, its name was based on the number of demons tormenting the demonized man. Legion may have been a collective alias for the entire demonic infestation rather than the name of any specific demon within that group. This has interesting implications if true. Then again, perhaps Legion was just the name of a demonic representative who spoke for all the other fallen angels living inside that man. The Bible does not comment further.

John refers to the name of a different entity in Revelation. Interpreters do not universally agree whether this is a demon, a holy angel, or Satan himself because the description is unclear. However, this entity is a king, “the angel of the abyss,” who rules over the locust-like demons who will terrorize the earth during the tribulation period (Rev 9:7–11). “[H]is name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon” (Rev 9:11 NASB), which means destroyer. That he rules over other demons may suggest Apollyon is a fallen angel, and if so, it seems likely he is of such evil importance that Satan entrusted him with an important leadership role in the kingdom of darkness. There are two other specific names in the Old Testament that some interpreters have also claimed refer to individual demons, but these references are far more speculative.

Moses used the Hebrew word azazel when describing the scapegoat used for the removal of sins in ancient Israel (Lev 16:8, 10, 26). As part of the Day of Atonement, the high priest Aaron offered sacrifices to God including a specially chosen goat. He cast lots for two different goats (Lev 16:8) and then sacrificed one of them as a sin offering (Lev 16:9) while driving the other into the wilderness, symbolically sending away the sins of the people (Lev 16:10, 21–22) in an early representation of what Jesus would eventually do for the entire world. Azazel, the Hebrew word translated as scapegoat, means entire removal, as in the entire removal of sin and guilt.21 Curiously, biblical scholars are divided on whether this word might have had additional semantic meaning for the ancient Israelites. “It has been diversely regarded as a place, a person, a thing, and an abstraction.”22

Some interpreters hypothesize that Azazel is a demon’s name and the goat bearing the sins of the people was sent away from God to this evil spirit in the wilderness. Yet that interpretation is largely a product of the difficulties in translating the original Hebrew intent of this word. The verse in question can be translated in a variety of other ways that seem more appropriate given the context. Additionally, Azazel appears nowhere else in canonical Scripture. The name does appear within ancient books excluded from the traditional Jewish canon, and within these apocryphal works, Azazel is sometimes the given name of a specific demon. However, most Protestant Christians do not consider such books to be the inspired Word of God and so the source material carries no weight in this discussion. Furthermore, the “notion of appeasing, or bribing, or mocking the evil spirit by presenting to him a goat, is altogether alien from the spirit of the rest of the Mosaic institutions.”23 It seems best, given the evidence, to point out this reference but leave it in the text as an interesting footnote.

Isaiah uses the Hebrew word liyliyth in one of his prophecies. He writes that the Lord is angry at all the nations of the world who have rebelled against Him, and one day when His patience has finally run out, the Lord will annihilate them (Isa 34:1–4; cf. Gen 6:13). He singles out Edom, one of the enemies of ancient Israel, for destruction so complete that it will become a desolate wilderness where the animals that ancient Jews considered unclean will make their homes (Isa 34:8–15). After its destruction, Isaiah says of Edom, “the night-bird will settle there / And will find herself a resting place” (Isa 34:14 NASB). The Hebrew word liyliyth, translated as night-bird or screech owl,24 had a richer meaning for the Israelites. Lilith is the more common word form in English.

She was a female demon who was part of the non-biblical cultural legends of the time, and we might think of her as ancient Israel’s version of the bogeyman. Isaiah contains the only reference to Lilith in all of Scripture. This was a demon said to terrorize people while they were sleeping, and a “Jewish legend made Lilith the first wife of Adam, and said that, having pronounced the Divine Name as a charm, she was changed into a devil. It was her special delight to murder young children.”25 But before we read too much into this ancient account, we should also note that the “prophets, when they employ poetic imagery, are not tied down to fact, but are free to use the beliefs of their contemporaries in order to heighten the force of their descriptions.”26 In other words, Lilith was a terrifying story to the ancient Israelites, one that Isaiah uses to emphasize the level of destruction God would bring against Edom. If only creatures like Lilith would choose to live in Edom after God destroys it, Isaiah implies the scope of its destruction is absolute. This should not be taken to mean there is a literal demon named Lilith running around and murdering children in their sleep. As with Azazel, this is simply an interesting cultural footnote that we should leave in the text.

A Glimpse Inside the Kingdom of Darkness​

We have seen that at least some demons have proper names and express individuality. They also work within a hierarchy. Satan, as the ruler of demons, leads this managerial structure, but he is not the only demon with influence. Scripture indicates there are more demonic leaders besides Satan in the kingdom of darkness. Apollyon, if he is a demon, may be one of them as John calls him a king over other demons (Rev 9:11). Furthermore, the angel who spoke with Daniel referred to a demonic prince with responsibility over the kingdom of Persia (Dan 10:13). That this demon held such authority implies a formal demonic commission to rule over subordinate demons of a lesser station. There is a parallel hierarchy among the holy angels that this demonic structure may very well duplicate.

For example, Michael is “one of the chief princes,” or archangels, among the holy angels (Dan 10:13 NASB), which indicates he is not the only one who has high-ranking authority. Calling him a chief prince also suggests there are holy angelic leaders at stations below him. We do not know for certain how many levels exist in either angelic hierarchy based on what Scripture explicitly tells us,27 but Michael’s title may indicate there are others. So in the kingdom of darkness, there are possibly kings, possibly chief princes, and certainly princes, all with their own delegated authority under Satan to rule over lower-ranking demons.

Paul refers to these demonic leaders more generally as rulers, powers, and world forces of this darkness (Eph 6:12 NASB) as well as principalities (Rom 8:38 NASB). There are different interpretations for what Paul meant, yet the most basic definition of a principality is the territory of a prince. One lesson Paul seems to teach, which the struggle between the holy angels and the demon prince assigned to Persia also suggests, is that Satan has designated swathes of the world as the territory of particular demonic rulers within his hierarchy (cf. Mark 5:10). It seems plausible that the more evil and depraved a demon has proven itself to be, the higher it has risen within the satanic kingdom. Perhaps the reason that the demons who tormented the Gerasene demoniac did not want to leave the region (Mark 5:10) was that they were somehow under the jurisdiction of a local demonic prince. We might further speculate that the prince of the region assigned these particular demons to torment this specific man.

In addition to a hierarchical management structure, demons have specific job roles within the kingdom of darkness. We see this among their righteous brethren: Holy angels support and strengthen individuals (Dan 11:1) and nations (Dan 10:13, 21). Some watch over children (Matt 18:10). Other holy angels act as messengers (Luke 1:13–17), ministers (Heb 1:14; 1 Kgs 19:5–8), and agents of judgment (1 Chr 21:15–16). There are even different types of angels (Gen 3:24; Isa 6:2). From all the various tasks holy angels are seen to take on in Scripture, it is reasonable to conclude that holy angels have specialized job roles. For example, the archangel Michael watches over the Jewish people (Dan 10:21). That is one of his assigned jobs.

Now, since holy angels have different roles, fallen angels must also have different roles because they, too, have a hierarchy that needs to function smoothly in order to support their chosen identity as a kingdom working together against God (Mark 3:24–26; Matt 12:25–26; Luke 11:17–18). This suggests some demons lead and some follow, some do this and some do that. One demon specifically influenced Persia while Satan assigned another to influence Greece (Dan 10:20). Satan might assign more powerful demons to influence specific countries. And given that Satan knows how God structures the heavenly realms, Satan may also choose to assign demonic counterparts to hinder holy angels in each of their specific tasks. After all, we know that demons and angels wage war against one another in a space beyond what we can normally perceive (Dan 10:20). Whatever the case, Scripture shows that both holy and fallen angels have specific jobs they work to accomplish within their respective hierarchies, but we do not know the exact nature of those jobs based on what Scripture reveals.

Demons working together as a kingdom united against God further suggests these are beings who socialize with one another rather than acting as “lone wolves” who do what they please. They frequently exist together within the same person. Jesus tells a parable that involves a demon leaving its victim only to bring back seven more demons to join it in its dark work (Matt 12:45). The first demon issued a direct invitation for the entire group of eight evil spirits to all join forces. At a different time, Jesus drove out seven demons from Mary Magdalene who were jointly engaged in tormenting her (Luke 8:2). The demon in the Capernaum synagogue included itself among other demons in the kingdom of darkness when it referred to us instead of exclusively referring to itself (Mark 1:24). It is likely that thousands of demons all infested the Gerasene demoniac at the same time (Mark 5:9). While we cannot begin to fathom the exact mechanics of how demons interact with humans on a spiritual level, Scripture shows time and again that many individual demons can all inhabit the same person. They must know how to get along and tolerate each other’s company to work together within their human hosts. Demons surely bicker and squabble given that they are the living embodiments of evil, but they also know how to cooperate together against God. According to Jesus, they regularly do so (Mark 3:24–26; Matt 12:25–26; Luke 11:17–18). There are no biblical indications that civil wars exist within the kingdom of darkness. As Jesus said, demons would not remain a threat for long if they battled one another instead of directing their attention toward God and the kingdom of heaven.

Working against Nations, Churches, and People​

Fallen angels confined to the earth and working specific jobs within a satanic hierarchy need a place to operate. Unlike the Lord, no demon is present everywhere at once, so demons must conduct their hateful business in specific locales. One demon operated out of Persia, another out of Greece, and Satan may have chosen to operate out of the ancient city of Pergamum.28 After the upcoming seventh bowl judgment during the tribulation period, the kingdom of “Babylon” will “become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit” (Rev 18:2 NASB) “in allusion to the common opinion that the demons inhabited abandoned cities, old ruins, and deserts.”29 It seems that some demons prefer—or even choose—to work out of specific locations whenever the Lord permits that demon to centralize its operations. There is presumably greater influence toward evil among the unbelieving people who live in close proximity to such a place. This was certainly the case in Pergamum. Not only did its citizens violently persecute Christians (Rev 2:13), it was a major center of pagan worship.

One activity that keeps demons busy everywhere is fighting against holy angels in an unseen war over the direction of humanity. Those same areas where demons operate could very well be hot spots in this angelic war. Daniel prayed concerning a vision of the future that he understood to involve tremendous conflict (Dan 10:1). It concerned him greatly, so he continued to pray and fast for three weeks (Dan 10:2–3) until an angel of the Lord arrived and explained there was an angelic battle currently raging over Persia that had delayed him (Dan 10:13). God was in the process of sending the Jews back to Israel, and according to some interpreters, “Michael intervened to assure that the Jews would be free to return to their land.”30

The demon prince assigned to Persia not only hindered God’s angelic messenger but also, based on what we know about the nature of demons, intended to thwart the work of God in whatever way possible. Every demon serving under Satan must have similar goals in order for their kingdom to work in unison against God. Since God loves people (John 3:16), His work often involves shaping events for the good of the people who revere Him (Ps 31:19–20), so the objectives of angelic battles almost certainly deal with events impacting humanity in general or God’s people specifically. Angelic conflict appears in Scripture on national, church-wide, and personal bases.

Because Michael watches over the Jewish people (Dan 10:21) and Satan once gave certain demons jurisdiction over both Persia and Greece (Dan 10:20), angels clearly battle each other over the direction of nations. Put another way, “there are unseen spiritual forces influencing principalities and world powers ([Ezek 28:11–19]; 2Co 10:3–4; Eph 6:12).”31 Powerful human leaders can influence the lives of millions of people just as the cultural zeitgeist in a nation can either lead toward God or away from Him (2 Chr 7:14; Jer 51:8–9). These both make tempting targets for Satan to corrupt; they are also critical interests for God to direct as seems good to Him.

Additionally, Satan was said to be present as a destructive force at many different churches (1 Tim 3:6–7; Acts 5:1–10; Rev 2:9–10, 13, 24; 3:9). This probably means that holy angels and demons also war with one another over the well-being of church congregations since God would not allow His church—which is, metaphorically, the bride of Christ (2 Cor 11:2; Rev 19:7)—to be without His protection.

Finally, angels battle over individuals. Just as Satan and his demons seek to destroy and deceive (John 8:44), God’s holy angels seek to bolster, encourage, and protect (Heb 1:14; 1 Kgs 19:5–8; Matt 18:10; Dan 11:1). The old cartoon trope of a holy angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other may not be too far off the mark. This idea plays out in the corrupting influence that demons have on mankind.

Organized Demonic Activity as a Corrupting Influence​

Humanity is not innocent of its sins, nor are children ever born into a moral blank slate (Rom 3:23; Ps 51:5; 58:3), but fallen angels do what they can to encourage rebellion against God among anyone who will listen. In the days of Noah, they did their immoral jobs so exceedingly well that the entire world “was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for humanity had corrupted its way upon the earth” (Gen 6:11–12 NASB). It was so bad the Lord determined that no one but Noah and his family—eight people total (1 Pet 3:20)—were redeemable among the entire world population in those days (Gen 6:13, 17–18).

Unfortunately, the world will continue to spiral downward in its moral decline until, once again, it becomes almost entirely corrupted just before Jesus returns (Luke 17:26–30). This may happen tomorrow, or it may happen far in the future. We simply do not know. Satan is the ruler of this current world system, and his demons are actively corrupting it at his direction, yet the apostles charge us to resist in our faith (Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 5:9) while Jesus charges us to remain obedient to the Lord’s business (Matt 24:42–51). The problem is that many people choose to ignore these exhortations. “The enemy does not attack backslidden believers who do not honor God, because they’re just as he wants them—complacent, apathetic and fruitless. Rather, the devil focuses his worst onslaughts on believers who are making a difference for the kingdom.”32

God is always fully in control. Yet Satan will hinder us when we seek the Lord with all our hearts. Within the context of our daily lives, it is much easier to rebel against God because rebellion is the fundamental nature of this world. However, the Christian mindset should be to fix our sight on the unseen things of God; “for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor 4:18 NASB). We must pray continually, not only for ourselves but also for other believers so that we might all resist wickedness in its many forms. Together, as the adopted children of God united under God, we can stand firm against wickedness. Demons are certainly united against us under Satan.

As the story of Daniel teaches, “[a]nswers to our prayers may be hindered by unseen obstacles. Don’t expect God’s answers to come too easily or too quickly. Prayer may be challenged by evil forces, so pray fervently and pray earnestly. Then expect God to answer at the right time.”33 Demons will not give up their wickedness nor will they stop their relentless attempts to corrupt humanity. Christians must be equally steadfast in our devotion to the Lord in order to resist and stand strong against our vicious, spiritual enemies. We will experience many trials and temptations designed to make us stumble, but when we place our full trust in Christ to see us through good times and hard times alike, not even demonic angels can destroy our spiritual foundations (Luke 6:46–49; Matt 7:24–27).

  1. See Chapter 4 to read more about how sinning angels fell from grace.↩
  2. The good news is that we can never be so far away from God that He will stop loving us. The Lord loves the whole world, everyone included (John 3:16; Matt 23:37; Luke 13:34). He welcomes anyone who turns away from their wickedness to His loving care. In fact, the Lord is patient with us precisely because He does not want anyone to perish (2 Pet 3:9).↩
  3. “Strong’s Hebrew: 6635. צָבָא (Tsaba) – Army, War, Warfare” (Bible Hub, n.d.), https://biblehub.com/hebrew/6635.htm.↩
  4. Ellicott’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (BibleSupport.com, (1905) 2014), https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/ §Judg 9:23.↩
  5. “Strong’s Hebrew: 7451. רָע (Ra’) – Adversity” (Bible Hub, n.d.), https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7451.htm.↩
  6. “Strong’s Greek: 169. Ἀκάθαρτος (Akathartos) – Unclean, Impure” (Bible Hub, n.d.), https://biblehub.com/greek/169.htm.↩
  7. “Strong’s Greek: 1142. Δαίμων (Daimón) – a Demon” (Bible Hub, n.d.), https://biblehub.com/greek/1142.htm.↩
  8. G. H. Twelftree, “Demon, Devil, Satan,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 164.↩
  9. The one exception is Acts 17:18 where Luke conveys what the Greek philosophers said.↩
  10. “Strong’s Greek: 1140. Δαιμόνιον (Daimonion) – an Evil Spirit, a Demon” (Bible Hub, n.d.), https://biblehub.com/greek/1140.htm.↩
  11. See Chapter 4 for additional discussion of King Ahab and this lying angel.↩
  12. Ronald A. Beers et al., eds., Life Application Study Bible: New International Version (Wheaton, IL; Grand Rapids: Tyndale House; Zondervan, 1997), 1992.↩
  13. See Chapter 12 for a more biblical approach to exorcism.↩
  14. E. Ray Clendenen and Jeremy Royal Howard, eds., Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2015), 1192.↩
  15. See Chapter 5 to learn more about how Satan interacts with humanity.↩
  16. A Roman legion consisted of roughly five thousand soldiers during the first century.↩
  17. Judaism is one exception. Christians and Jews worship the same God; however, most of the Jewish people are still waiting for the Messiah and do not recognize Jesus as that man.↩
  18. See Chapter 11 to see more of the popular false teachings that concern driving out demons.↩
  19. Daniel saw someone who may have been the preincarnate Christ standing on the bank of a river (Dan 10:4–6). None of the men with him saw this figure, but they felt him and were so terrified they ran away (Dan 10:7). Later, Daniel was so overcome in the divine presence of a holy angel that he could not speak (Dan 10:15–17).↩
  20. See Chapter 1 or Appendix A for a more thorough explanation of where paranormal abilities originate.↩
  21. “Strong’s Hebrew: 5799. עֲזָאזֵל (Azazel) – Entire Removal” (Bible Hub, n.d.), https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5799.htm.↩
  22. H. D. M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell, eds., The Pulpit Commentary (BibleSoft, (1909) n.d.), https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/genesis/1.htm §Lev 16:7–8.↩
  23. Spence and Exell, The Pulpit Commentary §Lev 16:7–8.↩
  24. “Strong’s Hebrew: 3917. לִילִית (Liyliyth) – Owl” (Bible Hub, n.d.), https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3917.htm.↩
  25. Spence and Exell, The Pulpit Commentary §Isa 34:14.↩
  26. Spence and Exell, The Pulpit Commentary §Isa 34:14.↩
  27. There are various theories about this celestial hierarchy, often based on specific verses that reference invisible powers (e.g., Col 1:16; Eph 1:21), but some theories do not fully rely on Scripture while others seem tenuous at best. Ultimately, our focus should be on the Lord, not on his holy angels who are our fellow servants (Rev 19:10).↩
  28. See Chapter 5 for a more thorough explanation of where Satan operates.↩
  29. Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (Santa Cruz, CA: Internet Sacred Text Archive, (1834) n.d.), https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/barnes/index.htm §Rev 18:2.↩
  30. John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 963.↩
  31. Clendenen and Howard, Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary, 907.↩
  32. Charles F. Stanley, ed., The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New International Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2017), 1529.↩
  33. Beers et al., Life Application Study Bible, 1497.↩